Illness, chocolate and Harry Potter.

Abstract

Further information regarding magical illnesses, treatments and deaths in the Harry Potter series was recently described in a retrospective, population-based, observational study of morbidity and mortality published in the Medical Journal of Australia by Gaertner et al. (https://www.mja.com.au/journal/2022/217/11/harry-potter-and-multitudinous-maladies-retrospective-population-based). Six hundred and three wizards or witches (71% adults and 23% female) in the Harry Potter series experienced 1541 illnesses or injuries (adjusted incidence of 20.6%), with 131 deaths. Most morbidity was due to trauma, including duels or fights (553 cases, 39.2%), injuries from magical objects, potions, plants or creatures (345, 24.5%), and non-combative trauma (221, 15.7%) (9). No magical respiratory illnesses or pandemics were reported. Most deaths were due to wizarding duels (101 of 131, 77.1%). Similarly, in the Muggle world, it is estimated that 187 million people have died as a result of war since 1900 (https://www.iwm.org.uk/history/timeline-of-20th-and-21st-century-wars). Comparison of magical and Muggle treatments is harder. Gaertner et al found that few treatments (including jinxes n = 274, [19.4%] and potions n = 136 [9.6%]) were described in the books. Chocolate is specified as the most effective treatment after close contact with a dementor (Book 3: Harry Potter and the prisoner of Azkaban). Bed rest was often prescribed as an adjuvant management approach, particularly to Harry Potter after sustaining traumatic injuries (Book 1: Harry Potter and the philosopher's stone; Book 4: Harry Potter and the goblet of fire). Hospital stays were less than a week for 99% of non-fatal maladies, which is comparable to the average length of stay in an Australian Muggle hospital of 4.7 days (https://www.aihw.gov.au/reports/hospitals/australias-hospitals-at-a-glance/contents/hospital-safety-and-quality). Most magical conditions were highly treatable, with only 1.4% of maladies being chronic, which is in stark contrast to the experience of most current day Muggle clinicians. An example of a magical chronic condition is that of lycanthropy (being a werewolf), which is a blood born condition caused by being bitten by a werewolf. Sadly, like many Muggle illnesses (such as human immunodeficiency virus, leprosy and tuberculosis) lycanthropy is associated with stigma, shame, fear and discrimination (https://harrypotter.fandom.com/wiki/Werewolf#Prejudice_and_discrimination). The magical healthcare system is harder to determine, but seems to be considerably less complicated than Muggle healthcare. In the magical world, there is only one type of health professional, a ‘healer’, working either in the community, such as Madame Pomfrey who works at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry (Book 1: Harry Potter and the philosopher's stone), and the many healers who work at St Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries in London (Book 6: Harry Potter and the half-blood prince). Notably both men and women are healers, with Dilys Derwent being a notable St. Mungo's healer from 1722 to 1741 and subsequently headmistress of Hogwarts school (1741–1768) (Book 5: Harry Potter and the Order pf the Phoenix). By contrast, women did not start to train as Muggle doctors in the UK until 100 years later, when Elizbeth Garrett Anderson became the first woman to qualify as doctor in 1865 in the UK (https://www.london.ac.uk/about-us/history-university-london/leading-women-1868-2018/elizabeth-garrett-anderson). It is not clear whether there is a Ministry of Magic funded universal magical health service or whether magical people have to pay for private healing. There appears to be only one magical hospital in the entire UK (Book 5: Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix), suggesting there may be resource constraints. It is well recognized that many Muggle healthcare systems around the world are under considerable pressure, particularly since the coronavirus pandemic, with challenging working conditions and recent healthcare worker strikes in some countries. Lastly, the state of magical healing research is not reported in the Harry Potter series. Therefore, it is not clear if evidence based healing, clinical trials, other research methodologies, patient experience or health economics are considered or unheard of in the magical world. To conclude, there are many similarities, but also key differences, between the Harry Potter magical world and Muggle healthcare. Whether this represents art imitating life or vice versa is unclear. However, reading a good book (or seven) is an excellent form of self-care, which all respiratory clinicians should indulge in as often as possible. Similarly, as you never know when you might meet a dementor at work, it is wise to always keep some chocolate on hand. Finally to quote the sherbet lemon loving Albus Dumbledore: ‘Words are, in my not so humble opinion, our most inexhaustible source of magic, capable of both influencing injury, and remedying it’ (Book 7: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows). None declared.